title: The aldo-keto reductase superfamily and its role in drug metabolism and detoxification.
abstract: The aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily comprises enzymes that catalyze redox transformations involved in biosynthesis, intermediary metabolism, and detoxification. Substrates of AKRs include glucose, steroids, glycosylation end-products, lipid peroxidation products, and environmental pollutants. These proteins adopt a (beta/alpha)(8) barrel structural motif interrupted by a number of extraneous loops and helixes that vary between proteins and bring structural identity to individual families. The human AKR family differs from the rodent families. Due to their broad substrate specificity, AKRs play an important role in the phase II detoxification of a large number of pharmaceuticals, drugs, and xenobiotics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA. o.barski@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Oleg A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Barski
authors.forename: Srinivas M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tipparaju
authors.forename: Aruni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
mesh_terms: D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase; D000074408:Aldo-Keto Reductases; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; D000074408:Aldo-Keto Reductases; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase